Professor Gino Martini -Harlow Based Professor and former Chief Scientist for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Trustee of Harlow Health Centres Trust (www.HHCT.org.uk)

FOLLOWING from my last two blogs – I wanted to update folks with pride on how the Team at the Lister Medical stepped up on the 29^th and 30^th of December and administered circa 1750 vaccines to the people of Harlow, Essex and North Herts!

To be part of this team is a real privilege – talk about consummate professionals -no matter how tired they are- the team continued to jab with a smile on their faces.   The smile of professional pride of doing a good job – the satisfaction of serving their community above and beyond if I can quote Buzz Light Year!!

It was satisfying to see so many young people embracing the booster campaign and getting jabbed – it kind of blew me away – yes we can be cynical and say they only want to get jabbed so they can go clubbing but I dispute that – many of these young people wanted to keep their nearest and dearest safe and sound.  And actually, who cares if they want to get jabbed so they want to go clubbing if that is their normality isn’t that what we all want to do i.e. to go back to a normal life?   I know I do!  

I was also pleased to see so many friends and neighbours receiving their booster jabs – it makes a real difference to ones morale as it really literally brings it home to you the impact that the Lister Vaccination team and volunteers are making.

If you are still in the vaccine hesitancy mode – trust me the amount of time people who have come into my office to receive their vaccine very agitated and nervous and after their jab look at me with surprise and say – is that it?  I don’t know what all the fuss is about!  Honestly, if I had a £1 for every time that was said I would have a very healthy bank balance indeed 😊

Also, please may I remind you of the following data which I hope inspires confidence in the vaccination programme as follows:

1. Vaccines are safe, they are not new and they were first ‘discovered’ in 1796 by Edward Jenner – yes that’s right in 1796!
2. Vaccines helped eradicate the scourge of ‘Small Pox’ – which is the only human disease ever to be eradicated!
3. Nearly 9 billion doses of a COVID-19 vaccine has been administered across 184 countries – circa 40 million doses per day!

So please everyone when you do to the Lister Medical Centre and to all Vaccinators and Volunteers you meet – please remember they are there to help you – please give them a smile and perhaps say a little thank you – it really peps us all up!

I wish you all a Happy and Less Challenging 2022!